Easy-loading toilet paper holder



Sept. 16, 1969 M. YAvlTcH 3,467,330

EASY-LOADING TOILET PAPER HOLDER Filed June 13. 1967 y 2 Shee'cs-She =.1` l

Sept. 16, 1969 M. YAvlTcH EASY-LOADING TOILET PAPER HOLDER Filed June 13, 1967 2 Sheets-Shea# 2 I N VE N TOR Mama/.s )fw/7CH BY Z if l United States Patent O 3,467,330 EASY-LOADING TOILET PAPER HOLDER Morris Yavitch, 1008 Benedick Canyon Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif. 90210 Filed June 13, 1967, Ser. No. 645,676 Int. Cl. B65h 1 9/ 08 U.S. Cl. 242-5553 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toilet paper holder which is capable of being loaded with a fresh roll of toilet paper quickly and easily even by handicapped persons. This toilet paper holder includes a body having side walls and a top wall. The Side walls are formed with a pair of horizontallyaligned facing grooves. Each of these grooves has a rearwardly extending and inwardly converging entrance portion that merges into a downwardly extending toilet paper roll support portion. The vertical distance between the upper edge of the entrance portion and the top Wall of the body is slightly less than the radius of a full toilet paper roll. This arrangement permits the toilet paper roll mounting post to be easily guided into the front of the entrance portion of the grooves, the person effecting such loading using the top wall of the holder body as means for guiding the ends of the roll into the front end of the entrance portion of the grooves.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Field of invention The present invention relates generally to toilet paper holders and more particularly to a toilet paper holder which' permits easy loading and unloading of a toilet paper roll.

Description of prior art Presently-known toilet paper roll holders include a roll mounting post which requires considerable manual dexturity for removal and remounting on the holder. It is extremely difficult for handicapped persons to replace a spent roll of toilet paper.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The toilet paper holder of the present invention was designed to permit easy loading of a toilet paper roll and unloading of a spent roll even by handicapped persons. Presently-known toilet paper roll holders utilize a roll mounting post which requires considerable manual dexterity for insertion and removal. Handicapped persons such as the blind, crippled, aged and also children experience considerable difiiculty in replacing a spent roll of toilet paper. The toilet paper holder of the present invention eliminates this difliculty. This toilet paper holder also preferably includes a storage compartment for a spare toilet paper roll or alternatively such compartment may be utilized for an ash tray, transistor radio or the like. The toilet paper roll of the present invention also lends itself to installation in a wall cavity whereby the toilet paper holder and the toilet paperroll supported thereby is partially recessed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a perspective view of a preferred yform of toilet paper holder embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of said toilet paper holder in enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional View taken in enlarged scale on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a broken horizontal sectional view taken in enlarged scale on line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a rear view of said toilet paper holder;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are broken side views showing how a roll of toilet paper is installed in said toilet paper holder; and

FIG. 10 is a broken vertical sectional view taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a preferred form of toilet paper holder H embodying the present invention is shown recessed in a wall cavity C. It should be particularly understood, however, that a toilet paper holder embodying the present invention may, if desired, be mounted flush with a wall. The cavity C is defined on its upper and lower ends by horizontally extending studs 12 and 14, `as shown particularly in FIG. 3. The holder H includes a body, generally designated 15, having vertically extending side walls 16 and 18, a horizontal top wall 20, a rear wall 22 and a botom wall 24.

The upper portion of the body 1-5 defines a toilet paper roll-receiving compartment 26 for a roll of toilet paper 28. The lower portion of the body 15 denes a storage compartment 32 for spare roll of toilet paper 34. The front portion of the body 15 is formed With a peripheral molding 36.

More specifically, the body 15 is preferably formed of sheet metal, however, other materials could be employed, such as a synthetic plastic or a die cast metal. The sheet metal projects forwardly beyond the front edge of the wall cavity C and is rolled back along itself on the forward in the form of vertical forward flange 38 and a rearwardly extending horizontal flange 40 that cooperates to define the molding 36. Thus, the molding 36 overlaps the wall surface 42 around the wall cavity C and conceals the cavity edges so as to present a pleasing, well-finished appearance.

The top and bottom walls 20 and 24, respectively, are bored to receive mounting screws 44 and 46, respectively, that extend into the upper and lower studs 12 and 14. Preferably, the back wall 22 is formed with one or more bores 48 adapted to receive mounting screws (not shown) should it be desired to secure the back wall 24 directly to a room wall (not shown). The side walls 16 and 18 are formed with a pair of like horizontally aligned facing grooves 50 and 52. As shown particularly in FIG. 5, each of said grooves includes a rearwardly extending entrance portion 54 that merges at its rear end into a downwardly extending roll support portion 56. It should be particularly noted that the vertical distance between the upper edge of the entrance portion 54 and the top wall 20 is slightly less than the radius of the full toilet paper roll 28. With particular reference to FIG. 4, it should also be noted that the side elements of the molding 36 are each formed with a rearwardly and inwardly extending guide surface 66 aligned with the front of the entrance portions 54 of the grooves 50 and 52. With continued reference to FIG. 4, the toilet paper roll 28 is supported within the holder H by means of a horizontal toilet paper roll mounting post 60 having reduced ends 62 and 64 received within the grooves 50 and 52.

It will be apparent that in addition to providing means for decoratively concealing the edges of the cavity C, the molding 36 provides a rigid structure for removably supporting the toilet paper mounting post 60 forwardly of the vwall surface 42. This arrangement insures easy access to the toilet paper roll 28 and also permits the depth of the holder H to be of a minimum dimension where such holder is mounted in a comparatively thin wall.

The positioning of the grooves 50 and 52 in vertical alignment with the molding 36 also aids in the loading and unloading of a toilet paper roll. Referring now to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, to load a full roll of toilet paper 28 into the holder H the mounting post 60 is first inserted through the cardboard tube of the roll. The assembly of roll and mounting post is then urged rearwardly towards the holder H. Before the reduced ends 62 and 64 of the mounting post 60 engage the front of the grooves S0 and 52, the upper edge of the roll 28 will engage the underside of the top wall 20 of the holder body, as indicated particularly in FIG. 8. The roll 28 is thereafter urged rearwardly and it will be apparent that the reduced ends 62 and 64 of the mounting post 60 will automatically be vertically aligned with the front end of the entrance' por" tions 54 of the grooves 50 and 52. It should further be noted that insertion of the mounting post ends within the grooves 50 and 52 is facilitated by the rearwardly and inwardly extending guide surfaces 66, such guide surfa'ces precluding the necessity of exactly aligning the reduced ends 62 and 64 of the mounting post 60 with the grooves 50 and 52. When the toilet paper roll 28 is exhausted the mounting post 60 may be readily removed from the holder H by upward and then forward movement so as to withdraw the ends thereof from the grooves 50 and 52. Thus, both loading and unloading of a toilet paper roll can be accomplished easily and quickly even by physically handicapped persons.

A cover 68 is preferably provided for covering the front of the storage compartment 32, however, it should be understood that if desired such cover may be eliminated from the holder H of the present invention. It should also be noted that if desired the cover 68 may be formed with slots (not shown) for viewing theI stored roll 34 while the cover is in a closed position, thus providing means whereby a person unfamiliar 'with the arrangement will be made aware of the spare roll 34 without being put to the embarrassment of asking the host. This arrangement provides the advantage of always having a spare roll of toilet paper available without having such extra roll stored in an obvious and unsightly location. The cover 68 includes a pair of horizontally aligned rearwardly extending ears 70 and 72, shown particularly in FIG. 6. With continued reference to this ligure, the outer edges of the ears 70 and 72 are formed with knobs 74 and 76 which are rotatably disposed within complementary pockets 78 and 80 to thereby pivotally support the upper portion of the cover 68 relative to the molding 36 of the holder H. The cover 68 normally hangs vertically over the front of the storage compartment 32 but can be swung upwardly to gain access to the stored toilet paper roll 34.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the toilet paper holder H of the present invention permits easy loading and unloading of a roll of toilet paper even by physically handicapped persons. The holder may be readily installed either in a cavity formed in a wall or may be mounted directly on a wall surface. If mounted in a wall cavity the toilet paper roll is arranged in a position to be readily accessible. The holder of the present inven tion also makes it possible to store an extra toilet paper roll hidden out of sight.

I claim:

1. A holder for a roll of toilet paper, comprising:

a bodythat includes side walls and a top wall;

a pair of horizontally-aligned facing grooves formed in said side walls, each of said grooves having a rearwardly extending entrance portion, the rear end of which merges into a downwardly extending support portion, with the vertical distance between the upper edge of said entrance portion and said top Wall being slightly less than the radius of Said toilet paper roll, and with the front end of the entrance portions of said grooves being formed with a rearwardly extending and inwardly converging guide surface;

and a horizontally toilet paper roll mounting post having its end slidably supported by the support portion of said grooves.

2. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said |body includes a compartment below said roll adapted to receive a spare roll of toilet paper.

3. A holder as set forth in claim 1 that is adapted to be supported in a cavity formed in a wall surface and the front of said body is formed with a molding that surrounds and conceals the edge of said cavity.

4. A holder as set forth in claim 3 wherein said grooves are in vertical alignment with said molding.

5. A holder as set forth in claim 4 wherein said body includes a compartment below said roll adapted to receive a spare roll of toilet paper.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,271,090 9/ 1966 Smithers 312-41 669,159 5/ 1902 Entwistle 242-1296 2,627,382 2/ 1953 Borton 242-553 2,993,658 7/1961 Sweeney 242-553 LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 312-41 

